Tuesday w/ TED: Simon Sinek

TED (Television, Entertainment & Design) Talks have become synonymous with creativity and always address very unique subjects in curious ways. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages.

In this new year I will spend many Tuesday Mornings w/ TED. When I find an exceptional talk I will share it with you.

This talk by Simon Sinek is one of my favorites and it ranks #3 on the all time TED Talk list with over 20,000,000 views.

Here are some learnings from Simons talk.

Simon Says #1

People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. In other words, why you do what you do is more important than simply what you do. People want to know your purpose!

Simon Says #2

Your goal should not be to do business with people who NEED what you have – your goal should be to do business with people who BELIEVE what you believe. It’s a much deeper connection.

Here are three of seven secrets Simon shared with Entrepreneur magazine for delivering speeches that inspire, inform and entertain. To read the full article click here.

1. Don’t talk right away.

Sinek says you should never talk as you walk out on stage. “A lot of people start talking right away, and it’s out of nerves,” Sinek says. “That communicates a little bit of insecurity and fear.”

Instead, quietly walk out on stage. Then take a deep breath, find your place, wait a few seconds and begin. “I know it sounds long and tedious and it feels excruciatingly awkward when you do it,” Sinek says, “but it shows the audience you’re totally confident and in charge of the situation.”

2. Make eye contact with audience members one by one.

Scanning and panning is your worst enemy, says Sinek. “While it looks like you’re looking at everyone, it actually disconnects you from your audience.”

It’s much easier and effective, he says, if you directly look at specific audience members throughout your speech. If you can, give each person that you intently look at an entire sentence or thought, without breaking your gaze. When you finish a sentence, move on to another person and keep connecting with individual people until you’re done speaking.

“It’s like you’re having a conversation with your audience,” says Sinek. “You’re not speaking at them, you’re speaking with them.”

This tactic not only creates a deeper connection with individuals but the entire audience can feel it.

3. Say thank you when you’re done.

Applause is a gift, and when you receive a gift, it’s only right to express how grateful you are for it. This is why Sinek always closes out his presentations with these two simple yet powerful words: thank you.

“They gave you their time, and they’re giving you their applause.” Says Sinek. “That’s a gift, and you have to be grateful.”